After the Arizona Diamondbacks took a 1-0 lead in the first inning of Game 7 of the National League Championship Series, Phillies cleanup hitter Alec Bohm sent the first pitch he saw from starter Brandon Pfaadt over the left-center field wall to tie the game in the second.
It was Bohm’s first home run of the postseason, after hitting just .233 in the playoffs and slugging .300 before Game 7. The blast validated Phillies manager Rob Thomson, who has resisted public pressure to change his lineup and move Bohm down.
Philadelphia has overpowered opponents in the playoffs, hitting 24 homers to their opponents’ eight. It took Bohm 13 games to join the party, but he delivered just when Philadelphia — and his manager — needed him.